Cost-cutting plans to undertake the English Housing Survey every two years threaten to leave Whitehall with insufficient evidence on which to base policies, statisticians have warned. John Pullinger, national statistician, last week wrote to Sir Bob Kerslake, Department of Communities and Local Government permanent secretary, urging him to reconsider proposals for a biennial survey.

Mr Pullinger said that the comprehensive study allowed housing policy-makers to base decisions on the most accurate data available.